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Searchers are being called back for a third day of an effort along the Blue Ridge Parkway, seeking a man whose vehicle was found there in the Wilkes Stretch of the Parkway. Ronnie Douglas Sutton had been missing almost a week when his truck was found at the Sheets Gap overlook.
Searchers from Ashe, Alleghany, and Wilkes spent Saturday afternoon and into the night searching for the 48-year old from Asheboro. The Randolph County man’s ’95 Nissan truck was found at the Sheets Gap overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway, first spotted late Friday, leading to the more organized search over the weekend. The search fanned out from the overlook near mile marker 253, Parkway Police calling for help in seeking Sutton, said to be in bad health. There were indications that the 48-year old might have gone to the remote location to do harm to himself, and a grid search was launched to cover the steep terrain. Yesterday, the search included two ponds in the area, with divers checking the waters, but with no luck. With the end of the weekend, available volunteers were asked to call to assess the number of searchers available as that effort continues. Relatives of Ronnie Douglas Sutton last saw or heard from him Oct. 14 and said he had been depressed, according to Parkway Ranger Dustin Gunderson. Sutton’s cell phone was not responding, apparently turned off the same day he disappeared. Relatives said Sutton left home without his medicine and the National Crime Information Center listed him as endangered—possibly as suicidal.